Tanya Chutkan has been the judge appointed to preside over the new trial to which former President Donald Trump will be subjected, under accusations of electoral interference, related to the challenge of the result of the 2020 elections. The magistrate has so far handed down some of the sentences more severe against those who stormed the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Trump was formally indicted this Tuesday by a jury in Washington, for allegedly trying to revoke the result of the 2020 elections. The special prosecutor in charge of the case was Jack Smith.
After his third indictment, the former president was prosecuted in the District of Columbia this Thursday by federal judge Moxila Upadhyaya. However, if the case goes to trial, Chutkan would preside over one of the most contentious cases of his career.
Things you should know about Chutkan:
Although she is considered one of the strongest judges, during her experience on the court, she has been characterized by defending accused white collar criminals and those who could not afford a lawyer.
Chutkan has sentenced at least 38 people convicted of January 6-related crimes to jail or prison terms, ranging from 10 days to more than five years.
Key in Trump investigation
Ruling two years ago against Trump’s efforts to keep his files secret, alleging executive privilege, this judge was instrumental in accessing Trump’s presidential records requested by the Legislative Committee investigating the assault on the Capitol, carried out with the which its executors were trying to prevent confirmation of Joe Biden’s electoral victory, reports the Infobae news portal.
Precisely, in this third indictment against Trump, special counsel Jack Smith used as evidence some of the White House records and files that Chutkan ordered to be published, mentions a text from Trade.
According to the AP news agency, Chutkan was the only judge who presided over the trials of some 600 defendants for the events of January 6, unlike others who imposed sentences that exceeded what federal prosecutors had requested.
For more than a decade Chutkan worked as a defense attorney in the District of Columbia, before moving to a private firm, where she practiced for 12 years.
She also joined the law firm of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, where she worked for another 12 years before becoming a federal judge.
Then, in 2014, she was nominated by then-President Barack Obama to serve as a federal judge for the District of Columbia. She has ruled against the Trump administration in the past, as well as ruling against her as an individual.
Trump pleads not guilty
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges in a Washington court on Thursday.
The next hearing is scheduled for August 28 at 10:00 am Miami time. Judge Chutkan intends to set a trial date. Trump’s team asked for this date, which would be the last of the three options. If Donald Trump is found guilty of all four counts related to interfering with the 2020 election result, he could receive a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison.
